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Monday, December 27, 2010

2011 – Metal 7 Year
Whereas 2010 (a Soil 8 year) brought many, often drastic, changes in social, economic and financial areas, and on the personal level as well, 2011 (a Metal 7 year) will bring more pleasant influences with new friendships and personal fulfillment. 2011 is not a year for a leap in the dark, but will be an excellent time for achieving better health and putting energy into personal relationships. Persons born in a Soil 5, Metal 6, Soil 2 or Tree 4 year will experience more lightness and the potential to flourish. Persons born in a Tree 3, Soil 8 or Fire 9 year will be able to strengthen their energy. Water 1 persons will experience a strong desire to drastically change their life. For Metal 7 persons it is advisable to stay put, in order to go through potentially hectic times in a harmonious way.

Your Personal Predictions:
In 2011, each of us will move into a different 9-Star position. Discover exactly what influences the new year will bring to you – including which plans are likely to succeed, and which actions to avoid. Learn the most promising months for your relations, your health, travel, finances and career. This seminar will help prepare you on many levels for the year to come. A special class will be conducted on 9 Star Ki in a broader scope: the cycle of 81 years from 1955 till 2036.

Cost€275 per weekend, 2nd person 20% discount
In combination with 2 or more of the 3 fascinating study weekends 20% discount.
Prices include classes, study material, warm macrobiotic meals, accommodation (limited) in 2-3 person bedroom. Your registration is final after receiving your non refundable down payment of Euro 50Classes are English spoken

Registration
Your registration is final after receiving your registration form and non refundable down payment of 50 Euro.

Refunds
In case of cancellation more than 2 weeks prior to a course, full refund is granted except for the non-refundable down payment. Less than two weeks prior to a course or if interrupting a course, no refund is possible.

The 9 Star Ki Chinese Astrology weekend is 1 of the 3 Fascinating Study Weekends with Adelbert and Wieke Nelissen.
Please, click here for the information on other weekend:

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Every one of our 12 organs have a two hour peek period during the day, a period when just that organ is most active.
In "Healing with Whole foods", Paul Pitchford advises the correct time for eating, depending if you are a 3 meals, 2 meals or even a 1 meal-a-day person.
If the energy in an organ is out of balance, symptoms will be more noticeable during the organ's two-hour period e.g. if you regularly wake up around 2 am, blame your liver.
Organs who are 12 hours "away" from each other, influences each other too, so if the first has a lack of energy, the second will have too much energy and balance should be recreated.
Too much energy: the illness or problem occurs and gets bigger both when the body is at rest and in physical activity.
Lack of energy: the illness or problem only occurs or gets bigger during physical activity.
05.00-07.00 : large intestine
07.00-09.00 : stomach
09.00-11.00 : spleen
11.00-13.00 : heart
13.00-15.00 : small intestine
15.00-17.00 : bladder
17.00-19.00 : kidney
19.00-21.00 : pericardium
21.00-23.00 : sansho
23.00-01.00 : gall bladder
01.00-03.00 : liver
03.00-05.00 : lungSanso I explained already in a previous blog. Pericardium in TCM is not the same as in western medicine, it is more the function of circulation than the bag around the heart.
The pericardium governs blood, and houses the mind, both functions being the same as the Heart. As a TCM student you should know that the Pericardium meridian points have a powerful influence on the mind. It also has an effects on a persons relationships.

Between 05.00-07.00 we should drink water, or even better Rejuvelac, to trigger bowel movements to eliminate the toxins / waste from the day before, and make place for the new day nutritients.
Between 07.00-09.00 3 meals-a-day people should eat the most important meal of the day, dont forget to eat from yang to yin in your day time, so no fruits in the morning, to optimize your food with the energies in your body.
Between 09.00-11.00, the spleen takes over from the stomach, the stomach passes its contents on. Enzymes from the pancreas continue the digestive process.
Between 11.00-13.00, the heart takes over and distributes the energies / nutritients from the food through the whole body.
Between 13.00-15.00, it is time that the small intestine becomes active, this mostly for the proteins in your meal, as they need longer time to digest.
Between 15.00-17.00, the bladder organizes the elimination of the liquid part of the meal.
Between 17.00-19.00, it is time for the kidneys: they filter the blood and maintains the proper chemical balance of blood based on nutritional intake of the day.
Between 19.00-21.00, the Pericardium transports what the kidneys decided to keep.
Between 21.00-23.00, the endocrine system adjusts the homeostasis of the body based on electrolyte and enzyme replenishment.
Between 23.00-01.00, the gall bladder takes over, in his function to clean all tissues, and also processes cholesterol and enhances the brain function.
Between 01.00-03.00, the liver cleanses the blood and processes the waist.
Between 03.00-05.00, the lungs become most active in the expulsion of waist gasses.

This is what our body and our organs do every day, should n't we be very gratefull for these wonderfull processes?

Sansho, also called the triple heater is regarded as a "organ" in Chinese Traditional Medicine. Triple, as it has a superior, a middle and a lower source of heat, situated at the entry, the middle and the exit of the stomach, the places where we find the most ulcers.

The middle heater transfers food into energy, producing clear energy, that goes to the superior heater and later to the lungs, and unclear, liquid energy that goes to the lower heater. and later to the kidneys.

Friday, September 24, 2010

As we learned before, in humans dietary proteins are broken down by digestion into amino acids, which serves as metabolic fuel for other functional roles in the body. The non essential amino acids are those who are made by our body.

But as most are made from essential amino acids, by lack thereoff, we also can sometimes have a lack of non essential amino acids.

*asparagine for the nervous system It also plays an important role in the synthesis of ammonia. Asparagus is a main source.

*aspartic acid serves as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and is an excitotoxin.

*glutamic acid is involved in cognitive functions like learning and memory in the brain . Kombu is an excellent source.

*Serine is important in metabolism as it participates in the biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines. It is also the precursor to several amino acids, including glycine, cysteine, and, in bacteria, tryptophan.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I would like to write a seperate article about one of the foods that have all essential, and even some non essential amino acids: green blue algae.
If the body does not receive sufficient acids, certain body tissues are cannibalized, often causing such problems as premature aging, memory loss, poor intellectual performance and even depression. Blue-green algae contain all of the essential amino acids as well as most of the non essential amino acids, making them a complete protein supplement.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

We start with the essential amino acids , as our body can not make them, we have to be sure that we have them with our intake of food.They are arginine (required for the young, but not for adults), histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Arginine

Arginine is needed for the function of the anterior pituritary for youngsters but also some adults can be helped by this amino acid, in case of poisening of the liver or erectile dysfunction.Arginine is found in high content in protein rich foods such as peanuts, walnuts, brazilnuts, cocunut, seafoods, cereals (oats and wheat), and chocolate. Legumes such as soybean and chickpea are also rich natural sources of arginine.

Histidine

Histidine feeds the blood, bones and gastrointestinal tract. Histamine is a substance typically produced from histidine, so people with allergies should be special attentive to this amino acid. If they take too much, it can worsten their situation. It is mostly found in high proteine, aged food like old cheeses and dried or roasted meat, and also in some fermentated soy products.

Isoleucine

Isoleucine feeds the muscles and is present in almonds, cashews, fish, lentils and most seeds.

Lysine feeds the heart, muscles and skin. People with herpes should eat food high in lysine and low in arginine, like papaya, sprouts, beets, advocados. tomatoes.Lysine can be found in mango, apricot, apples, dried pear, fat fish, turnips, celery etc.

Methionine

Methionine nourishes the heart and liver, vegetables rich in methionine are spinach, green peas, corn (boiled) and all nuts, tofu and tempeh.

Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine feeds the brain, the liver, thyroid and hypothalamus. We find it in cocoa powder, brown bread and all things made with whole wheat flour ( chapati, noodles etc..)Aspartame contains 40 % of phenylalanine . PKU patiens should restrict their intake of this amino acid, so should avoud aspartame. As aspartame is a checmical, it should be avoided by everyone.

Threonine

Threonine feeds the liver, and it is one of the amino detoxifers. It helps prevent fatty buildup in the liver and is an important component of collagen. It is generally low in vegetarians.But leafy vegetables are high in threonine. It is also found in whole grains, pulses, nuts, apples, peaches and figs.

Tryprophan

Tryprophan feeds the liver, blood and brain and can be found in nuts, bananas, soybeans and soy products, tuna, shellfish,roasted seeds of pumpkin, sesame and sunflower. Consumption of red or brown rice would also help to increase the tryptophan in the blood stream. This amino acid is very important for a good mood and a healthy sleep as it plays an important role in the production of both serotonin and melatonin.If you suffer from bad mood or bad sleep, you can do 2 things:

- Consume foods high in tryptophan on an empty stomach as this aids absorption

- Take foods high in tryptophan on their own with no other proteins or amino acids.

Valine

Valine build up the muscles Very high levels of valine can cause symptoms such as a crawling sensation on the skin, as well as hallucinations. Individuals with kidney or liver disease should be careful in consuming high intakes of amino acids without consulting their doctor. Valine should always be taken in balance with leucine and isoleucine.It can be found in seafood, roasted peanuts (with skin), sesame seeds and lentils.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Amino acids are critical to life, and have a variety of roles in metabolism. One particularly important function is as the building blocks of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids. Every protein is chemically defined by this primary structure, its unique sequence of amino acid residues, which in turn define the three-dimensional structure of the protein. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined to form an almost endless variety of words, amino acids can be linked together in varying sequences to form a vast variety of proteins.

Amino acids are very important in nutrition.Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids.

The others must be supplied in the food. Failure to obtain enough of even 1 of the 10 essential amino acids, those that we cannot make, results in degradation of the body's proteins—muscle and so forth—to obtain the one amino acid that is needed. Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use—the amino acids must be in the food every day.

The 10 amino acids that we can produce are alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. Tyrosine is produced from phenylalanine, so if the diet is deficient in phenylalanine, tyrosine will be required as well. The essential amino acids are arginine (required for the young, but not for adults), histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These amino acids are required in the diet. Plants, of course, must be able to make all the amino acids. Humans, on the other hand, do not have all the enzymes required for the biosynthesis of all of the amino acids.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

As I am pickling a lot of sauerkraut lately, pickle authority, Bill Hettig (www.PerfectPickler.com) shared some of his secrets:start the fermentation at 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 C), then take it down to 66 or 67 F (18-19) for 7 to 8 more days. That is because there are a variety of bacteria that rise and fall in those temp. His rule of thumb for kraut fermentation is a minimum of 4 days (shredded or finely sliced), and 1 additional day for each degree below 70F (21C). So if you had it at 66 degrees, it would be 4 + 4 = 8 days.As my room temperature (with airconditioning) is 86F (30C) I have to find a way to cool it down: I think about putting my Perfect Pickler pots in a bucket with colder water for 4 days and then even more colder water for the next 6 days, before putting it into the refrigerator.Over 2,500 years ago, the Chinese actually figured out the optimum temperature range for sauerkraut 71 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 17 C)Thanks Bill, you did us all a big favour.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Agar Agar, also known under the product name Kanten, is a vegan replacement for gelatin. Agar agar is processed from red algae into sheets, flakes and powder. The powder and flakes are easy to work with and are high in proteins and fiber.
Use 1 teaspoon agar powder to thicken 1 cup of liquid.
Click here for some recipes, but please do not forget, we cannot treat the sheets, flakes and powder the same way. The ratio is 1 to 3 (powder to flakes) so if your recipe tells you to use 3ts of flakes, you use 1ts of powder. For acid juices you will need more. It does not work with lemon juice or products with chocolate in it. It works wonderful for vegetable aspics.
If you live in Thailand, you can buy agar here.

Now that I have a customer for my sauerkraut, I have to get the best white cabbage possible.

I phoned a few organic farms, the first told me to call back in December, but the second (Rangsit Organic Farm) could deliver at my place. So I ordered 30 lbs (15 kilogram) of white cabbage and they will bring it tomorrow at 6 am.

Normally the white cabbage costs 30 thb (1USD) for 2 lbs (1kg), but the organic ones cost 70 thb (2.2 USD) for 2 lbs, so I am very curious if I will be able to taste the difference.
I will not use my kitchen robot anymore, but I will use my sauerkraut cutter, that gives me much more pleasure.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

2 months ago, a new restaurant opened on my street (Onnut) and it was managed by 2 Hungarians, the first foreign restaurant in the whole region. They offer foreign and thai food at reasonable prices: http://eatgoodbangkok.blogspot.com/ .They only employ local Onnut people, and all staff is very nice, so 1 month ago I started to go there, though they do not really make my kind of food, but I love the company. Very strange for me, but they really attract an international crowd, more international that I ever have seen in Bangkok. Eric, the drummer of the well know group Loso, comes there almost every day, but I meet people of every nationality there, and also 50 % of customers are Thai or Chinese Thai.One month ago, Ivan , one of the owners, told me it is very difficult to find good sauerkraut (กะหล่ำปลีดอง) so I told him I make sauerkraut for almost 20 years. He told me to deliver some samples and I did, and I did not hear from him for the next 3 weeks :PBut today I got an email: he wanted to talk about business so I went to see him and he asked me how many kilograms I can provide.I told him I make about 3 kg a month for personal consumption, and he told me that he needed at least 20 kg a month, as they just LOVED my sauerkraut , but I needed to use less "kraut" (herbs) and I know I use too much ginger, cloves and juniper berries, as for me it is a medicine, but for them they want to use it with other ingredients and then it is too strong. They say they want to take now 20 kg a month but I need to upgrade my "factory" to deliver much more in the future:D

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Image via WikipediaIf you want a good soup or stew, better make a vegan broth first. There are many ways to make a good broth, and here is my way:I fry chopped onions for about 5 minutes, add water, chopped carrot, wakame seaweed, a clove of garlic, with the peel, I also use scraps and skins from other vegetables, add salt , ginger, some natural soy sauce, herbs like thyme and cook for 30 minutes. Cool down, strain it and refrigerate till you need it. The rest of the veggies you can bind with arrowroot and eat with rice, as nothing is thrown away in a healthy kitchen.

Monday, August 30, 2010

An all-vegan cacciatore recipe made with tempeh instead of meat and simmered with plenty of herbs and spices for flavor. No need to forego your favorite Italian foods when you are vegetarian or vegan, just use tempeh instead, as in this cacciatore recipe.Ingredients:1 pound fried tempeh1 tsp sesame oil1 large onion, diced3 cloves garlic, minced3 tbsp tomato pesto3/4 cup vegetable broth1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms2 tablespoons white miso1 tsp dried parsley1 bay leaf1/2 tsp natural sea salt1/2 tsp ground allspice1/4 tsp dried rosemary1/4 tsp dried basil1/4 tsp gingerPreparation:Cut the fried tempeh into 2 inch squares. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee the onion and garlic for two minutes. Add the tomato pesto, broth, mushrooms, herbs salt and spices and stir thoroughly blended.Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.Add the tempeh squares and the miso and continue to simmer until the tempeh is heated through.Serve the cacciatore with whole wheat pasta or brown rice.Cacciatore means "hunter" so this is a vegetarian hunter recipe ideal for warm summers, as it is rather Yin. I give it a Yin -4 on my Yin Yang food scale. If you do not want to use tomatoes, you can replace them by pureed pumpkin.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Blueberries are a well-known source of antioxidants, but black rice bran is better, according to scientists reporting to the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

Black rice, which turns a deep purple colour when cooked, is rich in iron, high in fibre and packed with anthocyanin antioxidants.

A spoonful of black rice bran contains more healthy antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries.Black rice, which turns a deep purple colour when cooked, is rich in iron, high in fibre and packed with anthocyanin antioxidants.

"Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants," reports Zhimin Xu, and associate professor in the department of food science at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Anthocyanin antioxidants have shown promise in fighting heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Several studies have shown they can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as LDL or bad cholesterol.

Xu and his colleagues believe black rice is a better source of the antioxidants because it's much cheaper and more widely available year-round than blueberries.

It's also more flexible. Manufacturers could use black rice bran to boost the health value of breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, cookies and other food.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Image via WikipediaFirst of all, I do not believe in taking vitamin supplements; you have all your vitamins if you follow a balanced diet of vegetables and grains. Together with other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, vitamins are necessary for your body to function properly.

Vitamins have diverse biochemical functions, including function as hormones (e.g. vitamin D), antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E), and mediators of cell signaling and regulators of cell and tissue growth and differentiation (e.g. vitamin A). The largest number of vitamins (e.g. B complex vitamins) function as precursors for enzyme cofactor bio-molecules (coenzymes), that help act as catalysts and substrates in metabolism.

Vitamins are classified as either water soluble or fat soluble. In humans there are 13 vitamins: 4 fat soluble (A, D, E and K) and 9 water soluble (8 B vitamins and vitamin C). Water soluble vitamins dissolve easily in water, and in general, are readily excreted from the body, to the degree that urinary output is a strong predictor of vitamin consumption. Because they are not readily stored, consistent daily intake is important.

Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of lipids (fats). Because they are more likely to accumulate in the body, they are more likely to lead to hypervitaminosis than are water soluble vitamins.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Image via Wikipedia
Life is an oxidation process, and when the "rust" finishes its job, we pass away.
But there is hope, we just have to find our Dinitrol food, the elements that stops or even can reverse the oxidation process, these elements are called antioxidants.
Antioxidants are classified into two broad divisions, depending on whether they are soluble in water (hydrophilic) or in lipids (hydrophobic). In general, water-soluble antioxidants react with oxidants in the cell cytosol and the blood plasma, while lipid-soluble antioxidants protect cell membranes from lipid peroxidation.
These compounds may be synthesized in the body or obtained from the diet.
Selenium and zinc are commonly referred to as antioxidant nutrients, but these chemical elements have no antioxidant action themselves and are instead required for the activity of some antioxidant enzymes. Not only enzymes can function as antioxidants, but also vitamins, bacteries, amino acids, etc...
Also here more is not always better, as an overdosis can lead to pro oxidant activities.
To give examples of some antioxidants:
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) you find in fruits and vegetables
Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols) in vegetable oils
Polyphenolic antioxidants (resveratrol, flavonoids) in green tea, soy, fruit (particularly in berries, the smaller and darker, the better), olive oil, cocoa, cinnamon, oregano and red wine, but more in the vine leaves than in the wine.
Carotenoids (lycopene, carotenes, lutein)in fruit and in vegetables.
As with most healing food, a balance is very important , and all antioxidants should be taken in their natural form.
Turmeric is a great antioxidant too, with a specific action on the liver.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is used as starch in the natural cuisine.
It thickens at a lower temperature than does flour or cornstarch, is not weakened by acidic ingredients, has a more neutral taste, and is not affected by freezing and it is, together with kudzu, the healthiest choice as starch.
Arrowroot cultivation was found in the Americas as early as 7,000 years ago.Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) contains a number of useful isoflavones, including daidzein (an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent). Daidzin is a cancer preventive and is structurally related to genistein (an antileukemic agent). Kudzu is a unique source of the isoflavone puerarin. Kudzu root compounds can affect neurotransmitters (including serotonin, GABA, and glutamate.) It has shown value in treating migraine and cluster headaches. It is recommended for allergies and diarrhea.
Research in mice models suggests that kudzu is beneficial in women for control of some postmenopausal symptoms, such as hypertension and diabetes type II. In traditional Chinese medicine, kudzu is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is used to treat tinnitus, vertigo, and Wei syndrome (superficial heat close to the surface).Kudzu has been traditionally been used as a remedy for alcoholism and hangover in China. The root was used to prevent excessive consumption, while the flower was supposed to detoxify the liver and alleviate the symptoms afterwards.Some TCM hangover remedies are marketed with kudzu as one of their active ingredients.

I will be doing another FREE group distant Reconnective Healing session on September 18/19th, 2010 (this is one session but the day varies depending on your location). This healing session is appropriate for anyone interested including children and even pets. Enroll here.

My previous group session was well received and I expect this one to be very effective as well. It seems there is a amplification of the energy when working with a large group. Also, this energy appears to be increasing over time so that the work continues to get more powerful.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Water is the element of the kidneys and the urinary bladder, and rules the bones.
The emotion related to the kidneys is fear and fright: if you are always afraid of things, you bet your kidneys are in trouble.

The sound related to the water element is groaning. Salty is the taste related to water. The ears and hearing are influenced by the health of the kidneys.

In nature we see water as cold, as winter, as storing, as black/dark, as salty, as north and the earth "grains" are beans.During winter time we should pay special attention to the kidneys: winter time is time for less physical activity, to go to sleep early, to meditate.

We also advice stretching to keep the spine and joints flexible: everyone, whatever the age, should be able to bent forward and touch the ground with the palms of the hands.

For foods you should choose hearty soups and stews, whole grains, roasted nuts, dried foods, small beans, seaweeds and steamed winter greens. Cook food more Yang (longer, at lower temperature, and with less water). If salty is the taste of winter, it is still dangerous to add too much salt in your food, so please keep it balanced, as you already have salt when you eat seaweed.Bitter foods will do well too; endives, celery, sometimes chicory root, burdock root, etc.

As I wrote for the wood element: if the liver and the kidneys are perfect, your life will be perfect, as they influence the other organs a lot! When the kidneys are healthy, we are calm but active, courageous but gentle, accomplishes a great deal without stress.